A Story of History, Food and the Vanguard: Gaziantep

“How could I not kiss the eyes of the people of Gaziantep? They saved not only Gaziantep but all of Türkiye.” In the words of Commander-in-Chief Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Antep, having fought for a long time and shown supreme resistance, stands as the vanguard of our crescent-and-star flag that waves gloriously on the highest points of every province within the borders of the Republic of Türkiye. The span of time stretching from history to the present almost resembles a staircase, each step of it filled with the victories of our provinces; led by Antep, 1 of the 81 legs of that staircase, I wanted to see and live the history, the culture and the distinctive character of all our provinces rather than just read about them in books. Covering thousands of kilometers in the blink of an eye, today I was getting ready to set out for the vanguard of history, Gaziantep, in the lands of Southeastern Anatolia.

THE TRAVEL COMPANIONS AND THE ROAD

I would not be alone on this trip: three friends from high school would be joining me on the journey. Every now and then I take a break from my solo trips and bring friends along, to introduce them to hitchhiking culture and to show them on the road what the road gives. One winter day, the long, exciting journey from Sakarya toward Antep began. We had made it through Bozüyük and Kütahya in sub-zero temperatures and reached Afyon, famous for its kaymak. Ahead of us lay Konya, Adana and Osmaniye, and we were riding in a panel van with a single ride straight to Konya. The owner of the van, Uğur abi, kept repeating early on that he would go on to Aksaray via Konya, that he lived in Aksaray, that he could take us all the way there if we wanted, and that from the Aksaray road we would find a ride to Antep more easily. We, however, said we would continue toward Konya, so as not to lengthen our route and not to be on the road after midnight. We had eaten up the stretching kilometers with our tangled, endless chatter and were approaching Konya, but the drizzle turned into hail and, on top of that, brought down a fog so thick we couldn’t see a meter ahead, a lovely surprise for us. On the road there is always something good waiting behind every setback, and having witnessed this countless times over two years, it was as if a curtain came down before my eyes telling me I would see that good thing once again; with our stop coming up soon, we started gathering our things. With 5 kilometers left to the Aksaray turnoff, the thinning traffic in our direction and the weather stubbornly refusing to improve made Uğur abi uneasy, and he made us an offer: don’t go any further today, let me host you at my home in Aksaray, and you can continue tomorrow. In a way, being on the road and open to all its surprises also includes being a guest in someone’s home. I had once before been invited to stay at the home of Yusuf amca, who had picked me up hitchhiking, but my friends, on the road with me for the first time and facing such an offer for the first time, were quite astonished, and at the same time their faces were all smiles from the moment they began to see the beauty of the road. While they were still taken aback by the offer and weighing whether to go on or not, I accepted Uğur abi’s invitation, and instead of getting out at the Aksaray turnoff we headed toward Uğur abi’s home.

TO A TABLE THAT WARMS THE HEART

As we were driving toward Aksaray, Uğur abi’s wife, Pelin abla, called him and said, “How far away are you? I’ll put the food on accordingly.” Uğur abi told her he was not far, but to set 4 extra plates on the table. He hung up, adding that he would explain the details once we got home. Our journey with Uğur abi, which had started in Afyon, had stretched all the way to Aksaray, and now we were at the door.

My friends’ faces showed a little shyness and a little excitement as Uğur abi rang the bell and we entered the building. When Pelin abla saw us, she welcomed us at the door with smiles and cries of ‘oh come in, come in, welcomeee’, which was so comforting and cheering for all of us. One by one we introduced ourselves and stepped inside, backpacks still on our backs. Pelin abla told us to leave our bags in the living room and come in, and with the warmth of her words and her smiles our hearts had already warmed up without any need for the heater inside. When we entered the small room at the end of the long hallway, a large tray on a floor spread was waiting for us, with pasta in sauce with sucuk, Pelin abla’s special dessert and village bread. Just as our stomachs were starting to rumble softly, sitting down at a table already laid, in a cozy room with the feeling of being among family, was a real pleasure.

After the delicious meal we moved on to evening conversation, leaning our backs against the wall on Pelin abla’s special hand-woven cushions, sipping the hot tea set before us, both telling stories and listening. Meanwhile the treats never ended; Pelin abla practically laid out the entire kitchen in front of us. As we neared the end of a lovely evening and I looked at the kind people hosting us in their home, I felt, with goosebumps, the hope-filled humanity of Türkiye, and I thought about how the world of television we get so absorbed in paints so many things far worse in our eyes than they really are. Each of us raised in the Republic of Türkiye, passed down from grandparents to grandchildren, grew up to be among the most hospitable, most helpful people in the universe; feeling with all my heart and soul that this was true in the apartment I was in and in millions of homes across the 81 provinces made my spirit laugh in the face of those news channels. Sleep had settled on the eyes of us, who would be back on the road in the early hours of the morning, and Pelin abla set about preparing our beds. With our most heartfelt thanks to Uğur abi and Pelin abla, we went to bed and drifted off with that indescribable feeling this lovely evening had stirred in our souls. In the early morning alarms started going off on everyone’s phones; as the leader, I got up, got ready and woke my friends too. Uğur abi and Pelin abla, who had been up long before us, heard us stirring and came to the room. Having finished our last preparations and settled our bags on our backs, ready to set off, we thanked them warmly for hosting us so wonderfully both on the road and at home, for warming us with their sincere smiles and for embracing us like family, and headed for the door. When Pelin abla said, “I’ll be expecting you again,” we all promised in unison, and without saying no to Uğur abi’s offer to drop us off at the main road, we got back into the van with him. After saying goodbye once more to Uğur abi, who left us at the best spot for Antep, we started raising our thumbs for Antep again.

ON TO THE REST OF THE STORY

Shortly afterward, one of the trucks, the true masters of the road, pulled over, and we continued with a single ride straight to Antep. Our driver, a man who stops and picks people up whenever he sees someone with a raised hand, even at full speed, even when stopping is hardest, and who never leaves a traveler stranded, would be continuing toward Northern Iraq after dropping us off. We covered roughly 500 kilometers in 8 hours, half chatting, half dozing off in short naps with our heads tipping onto each other’s shoulders in the warmth of the cab. As we climbed out, we thanked him warmly for taking people into his truck, practically the home of the good people of this profession, for offering us food from his provisions and tea from his thermos, and for hosting us with the good conversation humanity needs most. Yes, after about 2 days, looking back on the dozens of wonderful things we had experienced since setting off, we had arrived in Gaziantep, the sweetest city of Southern Anatolia, whose cuisine has made it onto the world heritage list and whose modern streets resemble a little Istanbul. Having stopped on the way for a spoonful of the homemade pekmez that Pelin abla had given us as provisions when we set off that morning, we found ourselves surrounded by Antep’s dishes as we took our first steps into the city of world cuisine.

ANTEP, THE GASTRONOMY CAPITAL

Gaziantep, which has had many of its dishes registered on the world cultural heritage list, is also known as the gastronomy capital of Türkiye, and now we were as close as we could be to these flavors. Our first food stop was İmam Çağdaş, one of the pioneers of Antep cuisine, an award-winning place whose tables are never empty. On my journeys from the north of our country to the south, from the west to the east, I try to taste as many of each province’s signature flavors as my budget allows, and I believe food culture is extremely valuable in our country. In our fast-growing food industry, even though foods from particular regions are now easy to get anywhere, I am convinced that eating each region’s products in that region, and experiencing their true flavor in their own place, shows the essential richness of our society.

GREEN AT ITS MOST DELICIOUS

Once we had eaten and had our tea, it was time for our ‘baklava’, whose fame has crossed the world, the symbol of our dessert culture, which we export by the tray every day, and the first thing that comes to mind when Antep is mentioned. Although I had tasted it before on an earlier trip to Antep, I felt the thrill of this flavor all over again with my friends. As someone in love with nature’s green, I was completely carried away by Antep’s green sweets, feeling the sadness of the last bite and the smile of my palate at the same time. After leaving the place to sort out somewhere to stay the night before it got too late, we explored Antep street by street while looking for a clean, reliable, reasonably priced guesthouse. It didn’t take long; we found what we were looking for after knocking on 3 or 4 doors. We put our things away, let our bodies rest and started chatting about the time so far, the funny moments and the road. But the city we were in was pulling us in so strongly; it was telling us not to shut ourselves in between walls, that in this city the eating and drinking never stop.

TOWARD A 40-YEAR TRADITION

So, for the sake of the forty years of friendship a single cup of coffee is said to bring, we set off in this city to have coffee, and arrived at Tahmis Kahvecisi soaked to the bone by the pouring rain. Shivering slightly as we walked in, we warmed up in the cozy atmosphere of the coffeehouse with its irresistible menengiç coffee. Tahmis Kahvecisi is a shop that has become part of history, serving since 1635. Along with your coffee you get a special nostalgic snack treat like nothing you have tasted before, and you can also buy the coffee itself. As the rain eased a little and we were enjoying the most pleasant side of traveling in winter, we ran into Mehmet, my and Şükrü’s friend from high school and our companion on the road of life.

CONVERSATION BEYOND THE KILOMETERS

Although we had been in touch with Mehmet beforehand, running into each other was a matter of luck, and meeting him and his cousin, our dear Cihan abi, right where forty years of friendship are sealed made us happy. Our group grew and our conversation became a rainbow; I was enjoying the happiness of conversation with my friends, kilometers away from our homes. After a long chat, Mehmet and Cihan abi had to leave for work, and we headed back to our room. Instead of sleeping we were resting and passing the time, our stomachs starting to get a little hungry; with the clock past midnight, repeating at every turn in Antep that the city’s travel culture runs through its food culture, I got my friends up and took them through the silent streets of Antep to the moon-lit flavor of the famous Beyran.

FLAVORS THAT CARRY ON INTO THE NIGHT

The streets may have been silent, but in Antep the restaurants were serving at every hour, lively and cheerful; here people didn’t eat to live, they lived to eat. While I was drinking the garlicky, spicy lamb Beyran with delight as it burned its way down my throat, my friends were questioning themselves at the smell and struggling a little to eat it. In this region, where Beyran is eaten as a meal, my eating it with the greatest appetite served as encouragement for my friends, and at least they got to enjoy tasting this flavor. After a good meal, with the horizon about to appear, our eyes were now in need of sleep too. We all fell asleep knowing how special it is for tiredness to be such a beautiful tiredness. As the one up before the morning, I take better care of myself on the road than in my normal life. I wake up happy after 3 hours of sleep; on 3 hours of sleep I can travel over a thousand kilometers and walk dozens of kilometers. It isn’t hard; this is happiness. I woke up, watched the sun rise from beneath the shop shutters through the window overlooking the street, and after letting my friends sleep a little longer, I woke them too and we set off for the most special breakfast in town.

THE MORNING HAPPINESS OF ZEKERİYA USTA

Antep’s most special breakfast: Katmer. And the most authentic place for it: Zekeriya Usta. Tucked away in a narrow alley, with the warmth of a family business, this place is so small it has room for just one stove and one marble slab, yet its flavor is extraordinary enough to reach from Asia to Europe. The few chairs they put outside were completely full, and in the spot set aside for customers standing, everyone took turns sitting down and waiting for their breakfast. After close to half an hour, our katmer arrived with milk, big enough for not one but even two people, a flavor you can never get enough of for the happiness it leaves on the palate. If the saying that breakfast must have something to do with happiness came from Antep, it became clear here. Settling our bags on our backs once again, we started walking toward Antep’s historic sights.

ANTEP’S BATHHOUSES, ITS STOKEHOLES SWAYING

Our first stop was Antep’s Hamam Museum, a subject of folk songs. With an entrance fee of just 2 lira and free for students, its decor and concept let you feel as if you were in the old bathhouses of history. There were also bathhouse tools and implements from the Halûk Perk collection, bathhouse customs, and wax figures and models bringing it all beautifully to life. Leaving the hamam, we walked toward the most vivid proof of Antep’s glorious stand in battle. Antep preserves its history beautifully in its museums, opening their doors free to students, and to the public, once free and nowadays for a very small fee; in terms of museums, it is the most developed city in Türkiye.

THE DECORATED CASTLE OF THE GAZİ CITY

Passing through the entrance to the castle without paying a fee, we slowly climbed the steps, and right from the start we were greeted by statues of our heroic soldiers and of our Ata. After climbing a little further, as we stepped through the gate into the castle, we found ourselves inside a military history museum. My first impression was how detailed, meticulous and beautifully history was preserved here. As we walked slowly toward the top of the castle, seeing the simulation displays, the statues of our soldiers, the victory photographs and the medals up close, we felt both the emotion and the pride.

The castle you are in, used as a watchtower in the Roman period, now stands as a testament to how history walked out of nothingness, how it was won inch by inch, and with the glorious Turkish flag it carries at its summit, it always makes this nation look up to the skies.

After our visit to Antep castle, we turned toward the world’s 2nd largest mosaic museum and kept walking. Through cities, villages and towns, I walk as much as I can, and I witness everything from people’s local dress to the way they speak, the structures that keep a city standing, how respectfully history is protected, and sometimes how wrong a path we have taken.

TOWARD 2ND-CENTURY ANCIENT ROMAN FINDS

After a city walk of a few kilometers with my friends, we arrived at the Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum. We scanned our Müzekart passes and entered the museum, opened on 9 September 2011, which houses finds unearthed from the Ancient City of Zeugma, whose history goes back to 300 BC.

The vast mosaic art reaching back to Ancient Rome across 3 floors was truly impressive. Each mosaic, with its history and its texture, practically held your eyes captive. But there was one mosaic in this large museum, kept in a single special room, that made time stand still as you watched it.

That work is the Maenad Mosaic, hidden under a ruined column from the antiquities smugglers who took all of its family abroad, and called the “Gypsy Girl” by those who first saw it (because of her earrings of two interlocking rings). The purpose of the room’s special design is to bring out the misty gaze of the Gypsy Girl. Its significance is that it is part of one of the largest mosaic panels found to date. Reflecting joy and sorrow at the same time, it shows the advanced level portrait art had reached 2000 years ago. The “three-quarter view” technique was used to make her gaze, which follows you from every point, even more striking. Da Vinci used the same technique in the Mona Lisa. I am sure that once such historical treasures are visited not only by tourists who come to the city but also by the city’s own people, the riches of history and the beauty of our nature will open up to the world through a wide window.

We had reached the end of our Gaziantep trip, and as we start raising our hands toward Şanlıurfa from here, I ask you not to break away from the roots of the past, from nature, history, food and dress, and I invite you to live a city in every way. Living a city the way it is lived is what it means to belong to that city. Thank you, Antep, for your great struggle, for your delicious dishes laid out like a reward on top of your victories, for your hospitality and, above all, for letting me take happy steps in a city. I also thank each of my friends who were with me on this road, Rüya, Şükrü and Burcu. Don’t be afraid of travel, of nature, of being alone or in a group; live, travel, throw yourself into adventure and never regret it!